PETA2 // Out There // Taking Back Sunday's Fred Mascherino

Taking Back Sunday's Fred Mascherino

Tell All Your Friends , Taking Back Sunday’s debut album, was released in the spring of 2002 and sold an insane 2,300 copies in its first week. It’s no wonder. Considering the band’s distinctive emotionally aggressive sound and stripped-raw lyrics, these guys were bound to shake things up. All five members contribute to the writing process, and they all play guitar—a pretty unique formula when you consider today’s commercial cookie-cutter music market!

So, when Taking Back Sunday announced a pronounced line-up change in spring 2003, a collective gasp arose from its supporters, all fearful that the band might call it quits. After all, it was already slated to enjoy the summer as one of the main stage acts on the 2003 Vans Warped Tour. Fortunately, Taking Back Sunday never missed a beat, and that’s where PETA came onto the scene. OK, fine, not really, but if it weren’t for the fact that Fred Mascherino joined the band as the new guitar player and backing vocalist, we’d be out an interview with a really sweet vegan! Turns out Taking Back Sunday members snagged Fred from Breaking Pangaea, one of their favorite bands and a college radio heavyweight, to boot.

Two Warped Tour jaunts and a new CD later, all fears of a split were squelched. But, screw all that. We just wanted Fred, man! Look for Taking Back Sunday's new album, Where You Want to Be, but first check out our interview with the wonderfully self-conscious Fred.